Boiler-flue-cleaner system.



p To all 'whom 'it may concern:

vproject throng UNITED earns DE LOS E. HIBNER, OF IUBOIS, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 TE VULGAN SOOT A CLEANER COMPANY OF PITTSBURG, PA., OF DUBOIS, PENNSYLVANIA, A. CORPORA- TION OF NEW JERSEY.

` BOILER-FLUE-CLEANER SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

Application filed November 15, 1910. Serial No. 592,498.

Be it known that I, DE Los E. HIBNER, a citizen of the United States of America, residin at Dubois, in the county of Clearfield and tate of. Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Boiler-.Flue-Cleaner Systems, of which the following is a' specification, reference being had therein lto the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in boiler' iiue cleaner 'systems and relates more specicall'y to that type of flue cleaners in which steaml isemployed for removing the ac'rmmulated-sootl from the boiler lines. y

Types of Hue cleaner'systems to Which the 'present invention is particularly adapted are shown, described and claimed in Letters Patent granted to William Eichelberger, No. 705,912, soot cleaner for boilers, July 29, 1902; Letters Patent No. 801,858, sootl cleaner for boilers, Oct. 17, 1905 and Letters Patent No. 858,334, fuel economizer soot cleaner, June 25, 1907.

The flue cleaners shown and described in i the above mentioned patents each embody a series of distributing pipes arranged among and each branch pipe connected to a common feed pipe which is in communication with The distributing pipes the boiler setting and are all therefore more or less within the heat zone ofthe furnace, whereas the branch pipes,'to gether with-the main fed pipe and the supply pipe are 4located outside the boiler setting and are not subjected to the `same degree of heat as the distributing pipes. The systems referred to have been 1n actual operation for a number of yearsand work admirably in accomplishing the results sought, but it the steam suplply.v

4has been found 1n practice, that oftentimes the branchpipes wh1ch, as stated, are located outside the whereas' the distributing pipes during the .same length of service show no deterioration whatever.

Since both sets of pipes .when the. system is in operation are in communication .with

a common supply, the cause for one set of pi-'pes remaining-uninjured and theotherset n oiler setting, deteriorate rapidly been a worryin `and expensive problem to the installers o .the system for a considerable time. I have discovered that the reason Y for this unequal deterioration is due to the fact that when the valves in the branch pipes are closed and the supply of steam vthereby shut oil from 4these pipes and from'thedistributing pipes, that the branch ipes being outside the boiler'setting cool od) While the distributingv pipes bein all more or ,less within the heat zone of t e furnace are prevented from coolingto any ap reciabl'e ex-v tent.l As a result, .the steam 'which remains in the branch pipescondenses as the pipes cool and sets up a vacuum tending to draw in .through the distributing ipes sulfurous fumes from the fuelin the urnace; as the sulfur comes in contact 'with the condensation, sulfuric acid is'formed inthe branch pipes and .the latter very rapidly corrode -under the action-lof this acid andare soon sulfur.

Itis the object of the present invention to wholly overcome the formation of the vacuum inthe branch pipes and the result ant 'damaging effects to cleaner systems of the 4,type stated, and a further' object is xto `provide`an automatic drain or telltale valve for the/feed pipe of the system by means of 'which a vacuum is prevented from form- -ing in the feed pipe and which will act to drain the system should the main shut ot'f valve leak or be imperfectly` closed `by the' operator. I

A practical embodiment of the invention is illust-rated in/the accompanying drawing wherein the v'is/ame is shown applied to a cleaner system such asis shown in Patents 705,912 and 801,858 heretofore referred to, it being' understood however that I do not limitmyself to the specific form of cleaner since theinvention may be applied to any cleaner system to Which it may be applicable.

In the drawings z-Figure 1 is a sectiona view through a boiler setting showing a cleaner .system ofthe type referred to applied to the boiler and equipped with my invention, it bein understood that the branch` pipes and eed pipe are in practice out/side the boiler setting, as shown in 2. Fig. 2 is a transverse 'sectional view drain or tell tale valve constituting theA other feature of my invention.

The flue cleaner system of the type shown embodies a feed pipe-5, one end of which Y 1s 1n communication with a suitable steam` supply 6, and in communication with the feed pipe 5 is a plurality of branch pipes T. The feed, pipe 5 is arranged substantially horizontal and the branch pipes 7 substantially vertical, both outside the boiler setting 8. Extending inwardly from the branch pipes among the boiler fiues 9 are a series of distributing pipes 10 each provided with perforations l1 which are so disposed as to project the steam from the pipes toward the fines 9 at desired angles. ,The manner in which the perfor-ations are arranged in the different pipes is shown by arrows 12-in Fig. 1. It is the general practice to provide short distributing pipes or nozzles 14 at the points Where such distributing pipes are in juxtaposition, to the fire box of the furnace, said distributing pipes extending across the furnace at this point would be subjected to the intense heat from the fire box and liable to be burned out. A shut olf valve 15 is provided in the steam supply pipe 6, and said pipe'is also extended below the feed pipe and provided with a drain cock- 16. A similar drain cock 17 is provided at the vouter end of the feed pipe, and a shutoff.- lvalve 18 is provided in the feed pipe 'at' a -point adjacent to the. steam supply pipe 6,

and a shut ofi valve 19 is provided in each distributing pipe 7 near the feed pipe 5.

such as is shown and claimed in the patents heretofore referred to, and as installed in actual practice, and it is thoughtno further detail description is necessary. y

A My invention, Aas heretofore stated, resides in means for preveptilig'the creation of a vacuum in the branch pipes and the consequent corrosion and deterioration of same, and in the ltell tale or automatic drain means for the feed pipe and steam supply line. To accomplish the first stated object of" my invention, I provide each of the shut off valves 19 with 'an automatic air valve 2O."` This I applypby tapping an L-pipe 20 intothebodyof each valve 19, the vertical arm `of which L is interiorly-.threaded to receivefthe exte-riorly-threaded nipple 21 onv i, rthe lower end of the valve 20. The air va1ve120 consists of a cored body 22 having .a'valve seat 23 ,on 'it'slower end against sure. The valve stem 24 extends through the cored body and is provided on its upper end with a head 25 which seats on the upper end of the valve body when the valve is unscated. The opening in the upper end of the valve body is small, beingonly large enough to receive the stem so thatA guide for the stem is formed at the upper end of the body. A port 26 is provided in oneside of the valve body, leading into the bore 27 of said body.

The automatic drain or tell tale' valve isv valve though generallyisomewhatlarger in size. Aside from `thegeneral,desig'nz'iting lnumerals therefor', the same reference numeral'shave beenI applied to the constructive -featuresio'f the two valves. i.

-Inthe operationofacleaner system such as lshow n,`th'e operator when he desires to usethe system-first opens drain cock 16 and then opens val-ve 1,'5 in the supply ipe 6, allowing steam toescape'until perfbctly dry steam appears, when, he vcloses drain 16 and opens valve 18 so as toallow steam to How into the feed pipe 5'. Valves 19 upon being opened permits the steam to flow into the branch pipes 7 tothel distributing pipes 10v and be discharged therefrom to remove the soot from the iues. With my valves as described applied, steam entering the feed pipe pastvalvelS enters return bend 29 and closes the valve head ofvalvej'30 so as to .prevent escape .of steam. v' SimilarlyA when valve 19 Vis, opened steam enters the L `pipe 20; andseats valve 24 preventing escape of steam through valve. 20. When however, :As above briefly described, the system is shut ofi' valves 1 5 and 18 are closed, the pres- .sure of'stcam against the valve heads being relieved, the valves immediately i open by gravity andair flowing in through port-'26 of valve 204 prevents the formation' ofa vacuum dueto condensation: inthe pipes 7 and obviating the otherwise i'n draft' through the distributing pipes to the=branch pipes,

so tlTat .no pipe destroying substance is drawn into said pipes. The automatic drain or tell tale valve being placedfin.

the4 feedpipe 5in advance of the-shut ofi' valve 18 acts .to elfectually drain the line shouldthe valve 18 leak orbe imperfectly closed.,1v f" What I claim is:

1. In combination in a flue "cleanersystem,

a distributing 'pipe extendingwamong the tubes of the boiler, a branch pipe for supplyingcleaningfluid to the distributing pipe, a feed pipe for said branchv pipe, a supply pipe for saidfeedfpipe, a shut olf. valvein the Iso supply pipe, a shut off valve in the feed pipe, an automatic drain or tell-tale valve in the feed pipe in advance of the shut off valve in said pipe, and an automatic air pipe and the distributing pipe...i

2. In a flue cleaner system, the combination withj a feed pipe and a branch pipe communicating therewith, of an automatic air Valve interposed in the branch pipe, and an automatic .drainyalve' interposed in the feed pipe` V. f

3. In a fine cleaner system of the type described, the combination with a steam sup'- ply pipe, a steam feed pipe communicating therewith, a plurality of steam branch pipes communicating with the feed pipe, and distributing pipes communicating with the branch pipes, of means interposed inthe branch pipes for preventing the formation of a Vacuum in said pipes when the supply of steam thereto is shut oif.

4. In'a flue cleaner system of the type described, the combination with a steam supply1 pipe, a fec'd pipe in communication therewith, a shut off valve in -the supply pipe, and a shut off Valve in the feed pipe, of an automatic drain valve in the feed pipe in advance of the shut off valve in said pipe.

5. In a ue cleaner system of the type described, a feed pipe, a supply pipe therefor, branch pipes communicatingwith the feed pipe, distributing pipes communicating with the branch. pipes, and automatic means in the branch pipes between the distributing pipes and the feed pipe for preventing the formation of a vacuum in the branch pipes when l the steam is shut oif therefrom. valve in the branch pipe between the feed 1 6. In flue cleaner systemshaving a .steam supply pipe, a feed pipe connected thereto and a branch pipe connected to the feed pipe, an automatic air valve in the branch pipe and an automatic drain valve in the feed pipe. v

7. In e cleaner systems having pipes arranged for cleaning the flues by fluid conducted to the .fines through said pipes, an automatic air valve for admitting air to certain of said pipes when the cleaning fiuid Vhas been shut oftherefrom, and lan automatic drain valve for draining the pipes while the cleaning Huid is shut off therefrom. y i

8. In a flue cleaner system, a fluid distributing pipe, a feed pipe therefor, a supply pipe to which the feed pipe isl connected, a shut ofl valve in the supply pipe, .a shut of Valve in the feed pipe between the distributing pipe and the supply pipe, and anautomatically-opcrating drain valve in the feed pipe between the shut off Valve of said pipe and the distributing pipe.

In testimony whereof Baflix my signaturel in the presence of two witnesses.

DE IIOS E. HIBNER.

o Witnesses:

EDWARD D. SGHWEM, CHARLES E. HAND,... 

